


Wanderer

by Kaldenstein



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-07-07 21:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15916149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaldenstein/pseuds/Kaldenstein
Summary: The Journey of Marethyu and company, as they venture the harsh, cold environment of Skyrim, conflicts revealing themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.





	1. Chapter 1

 

**Chapter 1**

 

Marethyu tried to pull apart his hands again. Still nothing. His hands and legs were thoroughly tied up. These bandits really do take those extra precautions. Scanning the damp cavern for a possible opportunity to escape, he sees a rack of various weapons a few meters away. Unfortunately for the bandits, none of them were around to supervise their captive.

Marethyu thrashed about in his chair, trying to loosen at least one of the two tightly wrapped ropes. A few violent outbursts later, he felt the restraints on his legs come loose. He shook his legs slightly, and the ropes slid down to his feet. Poor knotting on their part. He took a deep breath as he leaned back and pushing himself onto his feet using momentum.

Trying to keep his balance, he waddled over to the weapon rack and turned his back towards it. He sat down, back facing the rack, and with one great push, he rammed the back of the chair against the weapon rack, causing the weapons rested on it to  fall.

A sword fell from the rack and fell blade first onto Marethyu’s shoulder, slashing a deep cut. He grimaced in pain as he felt a smaller blade rest between his bound wrists. A small knife. Just what he needed. Slowly cradling the knife back and forth, Marethyu was trying to find the heavier side, where the hilt was.

Feeling a bit of weight on the side where the knife pointed on his back, he tilted his wrists away from him, ever so gently sliding the knife into his hands. As soon as he felt the leather rubbing on his right hand, he reached out his ring and pinkie finger and caught the knife. He slid the knife back and forth, blindly cutting the ropes. A few strokes later, he felt a layer of rope cut loose.

At that point he could barely move his palm back and forth, but that’s all he needed. He dropped the knife, and focused his mind on creating imaginary sparks in the middle of his palms. He felt sharp bursts of heat emitting from his hands, but it wasn’t enough. He tensed up, focusing harder on creating sparks in his hand.

Marethyu heard a loud whoosh, and could see a bright orange glow casting shadows on his feet. Now to wait for the fire to burn off the rest of these ropes. The fire roared to life, searing not only the ropes but the rags that he wore and the skin on his forearms. Marethyu gritted his teeth as the flames roasted his skin, along with the foul odor of burnt skin.

He sharply breathed in as he attempted to pull his hands apart, and his hands broke free from his restraints. He quickly stood up, immediately cutting off his thoughts about fire, and shook his hands violently, putting out the fire. After the flames disappeared, He grimaced as he saw that both of his forearms were blackened, burnt and flaking. He quickly calmed himself down as he thought of restoring his skin back to its original state.

Bright, heavenly light flashed onto his hands, and Marethyu hovered the lights onto his burnt skin. The restoration magic quickly regenerated his skin, repairing it and dissolving the charred skin flakes. Seeing that his arms were restored, he then hovered his right hand onto his left shoulder, sealing the cut that the sword slashed into while he rammed into the weapon rack.

He stretched out his arms and rolled his shoulders, loosening up from the 2 hours of captivity he was stuck in. Suddenly, he heard steel boots clomping on the stone floor, heading his way. Someone, or something was coming. He quickly scanned the room for cover, and the proceeded to duck behind a barrel near the entrance of the small cavern opening.

The footsteps stopped for a split second, and then they continued as a faster pace, entering the room with the realization that their prisoner was gone. The bandit inspected the chair, and without hesitation, Marethyu snuck up behind him and elbowed the bandit’s temple. The bandit fell to the floor, knocked out cold. He knelt down beside the bandit, looting anything he could find.

He pulled out a pouch of Septims, which he gladly stuffed into his own pocket. He continued to rummage through as he picked out a few lockpicks, a few gems, a lesser soul gem, and a key. He spotted his belongings on a table across the room, and quickly put on his armor. He quickly strapped on his gauntlets, shin guards, and chestplate. He picked up his sword, Luna, and checked for any damage done to it. Being satisfied that nothing major impacted the sword, he sheathed it and grabbed a sweetroll, scarfing it down. Something was missing. His scarf. Marethyu panicked as he darted his eyes around the room, searching through any cabinet, barrel or drawer he could find. He then pulled open a drawer and luckily there it was, surprisingly folded in a neat fashion. He sighed in relief as he unraveled the cloth and shrouded it on his shoulders. Now to find a way out.

Marethyu peeked his head out of the wood-framed entrance. It seems like he was in some sort of mineshaft. Making sure the coast was clear, he looked to his right, noticing a small incline. A way up and out. He quietly snuck his way through the unfinished mineshaft, and ducked behind a wooden crate. He peeked over to see a bandit, dozing off. To his left was another way down into the mine, and to his right was the incline, possibly the exit. He looked at his feet and spotted a small rock. Picking it up, he aimed for the mineshaft and flung it over the crate. A moment later, Marethyu and the sleepy bandit heard a alarming thud. The bandit pulled out his sword and went down the mineshaft to investigate, while Marethyu snuck past him and headed up the incline. He snuck past the room where the bandits were sleeping, and made his way to a wooden door at the top of the incline. He held his breath as he checked to see if the door was locked, and to his surprise, it wasn’t. He crept outside, and gently closed the door behind him. He was free.


	2. Chapter 2

Marethyu calmly inhaled the cool night air, as he felt a cold breeze rustle his clothing, and hair.

Exhaling, he wondered where he was. He looked at his surroundings, inspecting the poorly fortified walls and lookout posts.

He looked back at the mine’s entrance, and saw a sign that read “Bilegulch Mine, The Reach.” Good. He was still in Skyrim. Marethyu spun around and headed for the entrance of the mine camp. Surprisingly enough, there were no bandits keeping watch.

Still not letting his guard down, Marethyu leisurely walked towards the entrance, and opened the gates. He looked up at the clear night sky, trying to find Masser, the moon that revolves around Nirn.

He saw that the moon was positioned almost directly at the center of the sky. It must be past midnight, he concluded. Looking back down, he saw a wooden post with arrows pointing in several forks in the road. Directions. Just what he needed.

He approached the post with caution, making sure that he wasn’t being followed or watched. Marethyu knew that Skyrim is an unforgiving place, and letting his guard down meant taking the risk of being ambushed, or worse.

Stopping in front of the wooden post, he glanced up to examine the various signs, written different fonts and texts. At the very top of the post, a red arrow pointed straight forward, appearing to point in the direction of North. Under the north marker, another arrow pointed northwest, reading Markarth. The arrow right below it read Falkreath, pointing behind him towards Southeast.

He walked around the direction post, finding another arrow pointing towards the north and labeled Solitude. He also saw signs that pointed in the direction of Whiterun, Windhelm, and Riften.

“Hello traveler, you lost?” a cheerful voice called out. Marethyu turned in the direction of the voice, his hand quickly binding on his sword’s hilt, only to see a carriage driver, smiling at him. Marethyu looked at his cart behind him, and saw no passengers. His mind raced, thinking of which city to head to, and which one would be the most convenient for him.

“Ahem.” The carriage driver coughed, noticing that the traveler’s mind had traveled elsewhere. “Need a ride? I’m set on a course for Falkreath, if you want to tag along.” Marethyu quickly brought his mind back into reality and quickly complied. “A ride would be prefered.” Marethyu replied awkwardly.

The carriage driver smiled, and slapped the cart behind him. “Well, get on in!” the carriage driver’s Nord accent was clear, and his optimism slightly annoying. Marethyu shuffled to the cart. “You do have the gold for the ride, do you?” The Nord asked curiously. Marethyu stopped at the step of the cart as he fished in his back pocket for coin. He only had… 300 septims. After this cart ride, he would need to use the rest of his money wisely.

The Nord saw his small sack of coins, and shrugged Marethyu off as he was handing the transportation fee to him. “Keep your money, this ride’s on me.” You can really tell that he was smiling just from the sound of his voice.

Without another word, Marethyu sat down, crossing his arms. “Next stop, Falkreath!” The Nord exclaimed. With a whip of the reins, they were off to their next destination. Marethyu nodded his head, realizing just how tired he was. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, and fell asleep.

-<===o===>-

‘Mary, my dear, wake up..’

‘Just a few more minutes, we have time.’

‘We’re going to miss the sunrise! You promised me that we would see the sunrise together!’

‘I never said when, did I?’

‘Honey, our wedding is in a week. Can we at least do things before we get busy with our engagement?’  
‘We’ll go see the sunrise tomorrow.’

‘That’s what you said yesterday! And the day before that! And the day before that!’

‘You’re such a hassle, sweetie. You know that?’

‘Says the one who can’t make up his mind what to wear almost twenty-four seven.’

‘Fair enough, you got me.’

‘So… are we going to see dawn break or what?’

‘Depends if you’re going to get off of my chest.’

‘Yay! Now hurry and get dressed! We have a small window of opportunity here!’

‘Alright, alright. Give me a moment.’

‘...............Marethyu?’

‘...What is it Lily?’

‘.....................I love you.’

‘....I love you too.’

 

-<===o===>-


	3. Chapter 3

Marethyu breathed in sharply as he shot open his eyes. The cool, night sky was clear, no clouds covering the limitless amount of stars dotting the night landscape. He felt a single teardrop trickle down his cheek, and quickly swiped it off with his finger. “We’re here.” The Nord said. Marethyu stood up, looking in the direction of the Nord, he saw soft, glowing lights in the distance. Falkreath. A place to stock up on items, and a bed to sleep on.

 

‘Well, this is your stop.” The Nord whispered, still sounding cheery as ever.

Marethyu climbed down from the carriage and walked up to the inn where the driver had stopped. “Have a great evening!” The Nord exclaimed. Without another word and a crack of the reins, he was off.

Marethyu stopped and looked at the sign hanging in front of the tavern. It was engraved with a picture of a mug overflowing with booze. Obviously signifying the tavern.

He looked across the street and spotted another sign with an image of clothes, shoes and hats. Must be the tailor shop, he wondered. Right beside the tailor shop was a building with two floors, with a sign in front with a picture of a bed. The inn. He looked around once more, searching for a blacksmith shop, but from his perspective, he didn’t see one. He turned back around toward the tavern, and opened the door to enter.

Marethyu was immediately hit with the stench of alcohol, burnt meat and sweat. He cringed at the awful combination of scents fogging the room.

Without looking at anyone, Marethyu approached the barkeep, who was drowsily wiping wet mugs. “I’m looking for the town’s blacksmith shop.” Marethyu said sternly.

The bartender glanced up at him, and looked back down to his mugs with a sigh. “The blacksmith is closed, but you can find it behind the Jarl’s Longhouse.” He muttered.

Marethyu nodded, and turned to exit the surprisingly crowded tavern. Just then a drunk, crimson-haired dunmer hooked her right arm around Marethyu’s left arm.

“My, my, what’s a tall, handsome bosmer doing here, all the way out here in Skyrim?” The dark elf said groggily.

Marethyu looked down at the dunmer, keeping his eyes away from certain parts that needed to be covered on the dark elf’s body. She looked up into his eyes in a seductive glance, trying to keep his attention. Marethyu casually unlocked his arm with hers, continuing to walk towards the exit.

“Hmph. You’re no fun.” The dunmer spat, as she turned to seduce her next victim. Ignoring her remark, Marethyu pushed open the door, stepping outside in the cool, fresh night air.

Marethyu looked up at the moons. From their position in the night sky, he predicted that it was around 1 or 2 AM. The blacksmith was closed, and it was pretty late. Marethyu yawned, as he made his way across the street towards the inn. A good night’s sleep is what he needed.

He stopped at the door, as he felt a presence blanketing over him. He quickly turned to look behind him, and saw a pair of two glowing irises, in a bush right beside the tavern. He blinked again, and the lights were gone. Must have been his imagination. Too tired to care, Marethyu waltzed inside, hoping to get a good night’s sleep.

 

Marethyu creaked open the door to the inn. He glanced up, the warm, morning sun gleaming brightly down onto his face. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath in, stretching his arms out towards the clear blue sky above him.

Rolling his neck, he wondered if the blacksmith shop was open. He trotted in the direction where the sound of steel clanging against steel.

  
Approaching what seemed to be the blacksmith shop, Marethyu saw a man busying himself with a workbench, his face full of focus. He was banging away at an ebony ingot, possibly forging a new blade.

Marethyu put one foot on the step of the shop, and knocked his hand against the wooden pole next to him. Somehow, the blacksmith heard the knock, and turned his head to see who created the knock. Seeing Marethyu, he eyed him up and down, checking his equipment, then turned his head back towards his work. “Good morning.” He said, with slight unpleasantness in his tone.

“Good morning to you too.” Marethyu replied. “If you haven’t guessed to why I’m here, I’d like to take a look at your wares.” Marethyu said sternly.

The blacksmith sighed as he placed his hammer on his workbench. He extended his wrist out into the morning light, and stared at his wrist sundial. “Yeah, I guess I can open a bit early today...” The smith muttered. Pulling his arm back, he walked towards the door and held it open for Marethyu. “Come in.” The blacksmith gestured towards the interior of the shop.

Stepping inside the shop, Marethyu quickly noticed multiple displays of weapons, armour pieces, and other various items scattered throughout the central area. The blacksmith quickly brushed past him, walking behind the counter, ready, but not so eager to help.

“I’m looking for light armour, which set would you recommend?” Marethyu asked. The blacksmith pointed towards the right side of the room, never taking his eyes off of his customer. “There’s not really much materials that can be used for light armour. Take a look.”

Marethyu looked to his left, spotting 3 mannequins, two equipped with leather armour, and one with iron plates. Marethyu walked over to the armour sets and glanced at the iron plated armour. “That one is pretty useless, if you ask me. The iron is too thin to offer much protection. It’s light, but not as protective. Hell, even the leather armour is better than that junk of metal.” The blacksmith said.

Marethyu turned his head, suspiciously looking at the blacksmith. “Then why did you forge it, if you knew it was going to be useless?” Marethyu asked. The blacksmith shrugged and leaned forward onto the counter. “Some traveler commissioned me to make it for him, gave me schematics and everything. Paid a hefty price too. He never came back around to pick it up.” Marethyu understandingly looked back at the armour.

The blacksmith fully widened his partially open eyes as he remembered something. “There’s this one material that’s very resistant, strong, and surprisingly light. Called stalhrim. I don’t have any in stock here, in fact, it’s pretty rare here in Skyrim. The only place I know where you could find the stuff is in Solstheim, but even stalhrim deposits are really rare and hard to find…” the blacksmith went on.

Nodding in understanding, he brushed his arms against his legs, his left hand brushing his dagger holster, feeling no dagger. Marethyu touched his left thigh again, now realizing that his dagger was missing. He didn’t see it on the table back in the bandit cave. One of the bandits must had it on them. Gritting his teeth, he let go of his thigh, and calmly turned around to face the blacksmith.

“Where are your daggers?” Marethyu asked, Interrupting the blacksmith’s rant. The blacksmith stopped talking, and looked at Marethyu with a confused look. He then tilted his head towards the right, realizing that his customer wasn’t listening to him give information of what could have suited his needs.

Marethyu walked over to the dagger rack, taking a look at the array of short knives, daggers and twin blades. His eyes stopped at the sight of a dagger with a short, straight blade with engravings on the metal. The guard and hilt was engraved with the same markings as the ones on the blade, and the pommel had three sharp spikes.

“And how much is this one-” Before Marethyu could finish his sentence, the establishment shook violently, rattling the weapons, and rumbling the armour pieces off their displays. The shaking ceased, followed up with a loud, ancient roar. “DRAGON!!” a guard cried. “Shit.”

(Final Fantasy 15 OST - Stand Your Ground)

Marethyu rushed outside, civilians screaming in fear, town guards barking orders at each other. He looked up, noticing a bronze-scaled dragon, circling the perimeter high above the town. Marethyu unsheathed his sword, preparing for a difficult encounter.

Just then the dragon swooped down, reeling back it’s neck for a fire breath. “LOOK OUT, FIRE BREATH INCOMING!” A guard exclaimed. The dragon then unleashed a strand of fire, aiming at Marethyu and several guards in the street.

Marethyu quickly dived out of the fire’s path, catching himself on his hands and rolling to his feet. He quickly turned back to where he was standing a second ago, to see two guards screaming in pain and agony as they made an attempt to put out the burning fire that the dragon blew on them. Another guard lay dead, completely scorched. Looks like they didn’t get out of the way in time.

The dragon let out another ear pounding roar, as Marethyu turned and looked at the dragon, making a narrow turn, coming back for another round of fire. Marethyu looked at the dead guard corpses, one corpse trampled by the dragon. Laying beside him was a bow and scattered arrows.

He quickly rushed his way towards the bow, snatching an arrow from off the ground and quickly nocking the arrow onto the bow, and aimed towards the sky. The dragon was quickly approaching him and a few surviving guards, ready for another attack run.

Marethyu steadily aimed his bow and arrow towards the dragon, waiting for the best opportunity to shoot. The dragon let out another roar, signaling another breath of fire. Not just yet…. Marethyu told himself, not being tempted to shoot.

The dragon reeled it’s head back once more, about to spew out flames once more, as it flew closer and closer to him and the defending guards. Marethyu took a deep breath in, and calmly sighed. NOW! Marethyu let go of the fully drawn arrow.

The arrow cut through the air, flying a straight course for the dragon. The arrow pierced the dragon’s left eye. Bullseye. The dragon lost control of flight, flames erupting in his mouth as it roared in pain.

Marethyu strafed towards the sides, as the dragon came crashing down onto the cobble street. Seizing the opportunity, the guards let out a motivating war cry, and charged straight for the dragon. Marethyu rushed in with them as well.

The guards advanced, slashing the dragon’s legs, in an attempt to immobilize it. Another guard shot arrows through its wings, preventing it from flying away. Some guards went for the belly of the beast, stabbing straight through its soft underside. The dragon let out a hideous roar of agony and pain, as attacks were coming from all directions. Marethyu ran towards the grotesque and wounded reptilian beast’s head, letting another arrow fly. The arrow found it’s target deep through it’s snout.

Marethyu dropped the bow and quickly unsheathed his sword, using his momentum and launched himself towards the dragon’s head. The blade punctured through the dragon’s scales and lodged itself deep inside the beast’s skull, delivering the killing blow. The dragon let out one last, painful roar, and collapsed, shaking the ground. Guards cheered and cried out their victory shouts, as Marethyu forcefully pulled out his sword from the dragon’s head, wiping the blood and brain bits onto the ground below him.

He sheathed his sword back into its holster, and turned around to see and hear the guards cheering for him, most of them complimenting his marksman shot that pierced the dragon’s eye. He looked at the guards, then towards the casualties on the ground around the dragon.

Even with the dragon immobilized, some were fatally slashed by the dragon’s talons, in an effort to survive. So many dead, for one single dragon. He looked down and grit his teeth. Where was the Dragonborn when you needed him?


	4. Chapter 4

Walking out of Falkreath, Marethyu counted his gold, recently gifted for contributing the most for defeating the dragon. He counted 500 Septims. Adding the amount that he had before, Marethyu estimated that he had around 800 gold coins. He pulled the drawstrings of his coin pouch and holstered it onto his belt. Pulling out a map of Skyrim that he also obtained from the locals, he pinpointed his location as well as his destination’s. Marethyu looked up from his map to see two columns of smoke rising in the horizon. In that same direction was Helgen, his next stop. Rolling up his map, he spotted sudden movement in the corner of his eye. He quickly put his map back into his pocket and impulsively gripped the leather of his sword. He glanced in the direction of a patch of bushes, where he saw the movement. Just then one of the bushes rustled, and a bandit quickly stood up with his bow drawn, ready to release the arrow. Marethyu strafed right, where he quickly dodged the bandit’s arrow. Cursing under his breath, the bandit pulled out his short sword and lunged at Marethyu. Marethyu in turn put up his sword, parrying his overhead slash, and quickly closed the distance, and stabbed the bandit directly in his throat. A killing blow. He quickly retracted his sword, the bandit falling backward, collapsing to the ground with a soft thud. “Strange seeing a lousy wood elf using advanced Alik’r techniques.” A voiced boomed from behind him. Marethyu quickly turned to face his next aggressor, but his eyes met a burly mercenary’s eyes, alongside him stood 3 other bandits. A four versus one. An unfair match. Marethyu grit his teeth and he raised his sword into battle position. “Nothing personal. Just doing my job.” The mercenary said. As the mercenary unsheathed his mace, something round and gray was tossed in front of them, and as soon as it made contact with the ground, exploding and quickly releasing the powder trapped inside. the air around him was covered in cloudy gray smoke, as he heard screams, and the sound of blade meeting throats. The screaming stopped, and the smoke cleared. In front of Marethyu stood a figure with pointy, perked up ears, blue fur, and one bloody dagger. The figure wiped his dagger clean with the cloth part of his armor and grinned at him. “Hello, my friend. It has been a while since this one has seen you.” Marethyu tightened his fist as he recognized the figure’s voice.   
Inigo.  
“You abandoned me in that crossfire.” Marethyu said grimly. “Abandon you?’ Inigo scoffed. “You were the one who didn’t advance forward.” Marethyu rolled his eyes and rose his slightly. “How was I supposed to know that we were moving? The guards were screaming and when I looked over at you, you were gone!” Inigo sharply breathed in and let out a yell. “YOU WEREN’T PAYING ATTENTION WHEN I TAPPED YOUR SHOULDER, AND TELLING YOU THAT WE HAD TO MOVE!” Marethyu rose his voice to match Inigo’s. “WELL AT LEAST YOU COULD’VE SAID IT LOUDER!” The two looked at each other, taking in deep breaths and calming themselves down. Marethyu sighed as he close the distance between him and Inigo, and hugged him. “Jerk.” Marethyu muttered. Inigo returned the hug, embracing his non-biological brother. “Prick.” He muttered back. Marethyu let go of Inigo, stepping back and looking at him from top to bottom. “What are you doing here anyway? I didn’t expect to see you again for what happened that night.” Marethyu asked. Inigo put his hands on his hips and grinned mischievously. Long story short, I escaped from prison because I ended getting caught, and after escaping, I went to our rendezvous area, but I found nothing but your tracks. I’ve caught up to you, but I never revealed myself since then.” Marethyu then recalled to the night before, where he thought he saw a pair of two, glowing eyes. ‘So you’ve been stalking me this whole time? How come?” Inigo sighed and let his arms relax to his side. “I wanted to see how well you would do on your own. You always seemed so dependent on me.” Marethyu looked puzzled. “Spying on how I would function by myself for 3 straight months doesn’t sound reasonable, but i’ll let that pass. So that means you were there when that dragon attacked earlier?” “Precisely.” Inigo said. “Nice shot by the way. I see you’ve been taking my archery lessons to heart.” Marethyu smirked. Months back he had asked Inigo to train him in archery, and so far it has paid off. But Inigo is the better marksman, and probably always will be. “Couldn’t have done it without the guidance of the best archer in all of Nirn.” Marethyu replied. Inigo slung his shoulder, preventing his bow from sliding off. “You’re damn right. Now where are we headed?” Inigo asked. Marethyu pointed in the direction of the two columns of smoke. “That’s Helgen. I want to check in on the town, see what there is to offer. I doubt it though.” Without any hesitation Inigo started to walk down the path leading to Helgen. “We never know until we get there! Now come on! I want to get something to chow down on when we get there! I’m famished.” Glad to have his companion back, Marethyu trailed after Inigo.


	5. Chapter 5

The columns of smoke turned out to be 2 large bonfires, with the citizens of Helgen going back and forth, gathering supplies.

It’s been 4 weeks since the dragon attack on Helgen, and the town is still in terrible condition. Most houses were either burnt or bulldozed, and charred pieces of wood were scattered across town. Looks like the small village of Helgen is focusing on their survival rather than their own reconstruction.

Several adults were gathered around the bonfires, talking among themselves, with no hint of happiness on their faces or in their voices. These were terrible times indeed.

Everyone here that resides in Helgen has lost their property and possessions to a dragon. Marethyu overheard a conversation hearing questions such as when resources would arrive, or suggestions of moving out of Helgen and settling in other towns.

The children of Helgen didn’t seem affected by the dragon incident. On the contrary, they looked happy. Some children were carving dolls and toys out of the charred wood, saying that the burnt wood was more easier to cut through than normal wood, and children chasing each other, screaming and yelling cheerfully, while the adults were too stressed to look after their own children.

A little girl brushed past Marethyu’s feet, followed by a little boy, chasing after the girl. “C’mon! You gotta see this!” The little girl exclaimed. Marethyu watched as the little girl led the boy behind a house.

Just then, Marethyu felt a searing pain shoot through his head, and closed his eyes from the pain.

-<===o===>-  
(Music: Kingdom Hearts II: Dearly Beloved)  
(Optional: Final Fantasy XIII-2: Main theme)

“Come on Mary, keep up! I need to show you something!”

“I’m coming, i’m coming. How do you manage to run up this steep hill?”

“Just hurry it up! Gosh, you ask way too many questions..”

Liliana excitedly dashes up the steep hillside as Marethyu slowly trudges up. He wondered if this was worth it, considering Liliana had just woke him up from his afternoon nap.

Marethyu made it up to the top of the hill, and found Liliana gazing into the distance, with a spectacular view of the sea of forest meeting the sea of blue waves. The gentle breeze rustled the treetops, almost as if a divine hand was brushing their hand through the foliage.

Liliana turned her head to see that Marethyu had finally made it to the top, and beamed at him. Like she always did.

“Glad you could make it up here sleepyhead. You slept all the way from noon ‘til evening. How do you even accomplish such feat?”

“Intense training can be tiring, Lily. I’m only resting for the next few days because the healer said that my joints were bruising and recommended resting for a while.”

Liliana turned and looked at Marethyu with a big smile.  
“Does that mean that you’re free to hang out with me for the next few days??”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Yay! So many things to do together, so little time..”

Marethyu crossed his arms and smirked.

“Can’t wait to do these arduous activities you’ve planned. Speaking of which, why did you want to come up here so bad?

Liliana’s expression changed from joy, to seriousness with a hint of nervousness. She turned to face the beautiful sunset scenery. Marethyu saw her hunch her shoulders, and it was clear that her hands were fidgeting in front of her. He walked up next to her, looking into the sunset.

“This is my second favorite spot in town. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Liliana’s tone also changed, sounding serious, but also sounding nervous.

“Yeah… it’s really pretty.”

“Whenever i’m stressed, or worried, or sad, I come up here, and just look into the distance. Doesn’t matter what time of day or night it is, the view is still amazing. I wish I could be here forever.”

The two stood in silence, both gazing towards the sunset. The sun still shone through the canopy of leaves above them, casting narrow beams of light onto them.

“You said that this was your second favorite spot.”

Liliana drew in a breath sharply and quietly, her gaze now tilting downwards, in a blank stare.

“In that case, what’s your most favorite spot to be in?”

Marethyu looked at Liliana, waiting for her response. Liliana stood silently for a few moments, and finally she she took a deep breath in and spoke in a soft and nervous tone.

“My favorite place to be at…..

….is by your side, Marethyu.

Marethyu’s face turned red, as he never took his eyes off of Liliana’s pale green hair.

“..Whenever i’m next to you, or whenever you’re near, I…..I feel safe. I feel confident. I feel happy. You’ve always been there for me, Marethyu. No matter what was going on. You were the first person to comfort me in my troubles. And you really care about me.

Liliana reached out her left hand to Marethyu’s right hand, and held it gently. She was shaking.

“..Even though you may be stubborn...or reckless… or boneheaded.. You’re still the Marethyu i’ve grown to adore more and more everyday. And that’s why I brought you here Marethyu. It’s because.. Because..

Liliana slowly turned herself to face Marethyu. Her face was filled with tears, her gleeful smile turned into a distressful frown.  
“...It’s because I love you, Marethyu.”

Marethyu’s face was burning, but his expression was still stoic. He felt Liliana’s shaking hand letting go of his, and before she could let go, Marethyu tightened his grip, not wanting to let go of her delicate, fragile hand. Her pale green hair and white silk dress blew gently with the wind, along with tears running down her face.

Marethyu’s voice changed to a soothing, soft tone.

“Then why are you crying?”

“Because I’m afraid! Afraid of what you’ll think! Afraid of you not being with me! Afraid of you not having the same feelings…”

Marethyu let go of her hand, and without hesitation, he rest his right hand on her back, pulling her closer as his left hand reached out, pulling her head closer to his.

Marethyu closed his eyes, and felt her wet, delicate cheeks make contact with his. He felt her soft, tender lips meet his. He felt Liliana take in a sharp breath, startled about what he had just done.

She started to back away, as if to reject him, but then she paused, and instead leaned forward and embraced him back.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. They stood there, in each other’s arms, embracing their love for one another.

Moments passed, and Liliana slowly pulled away, looking at Marethyu. She had stopped crying. Her dreary frown was replaced with a happy smile of satisfaction and love.

Marethyu’s left hand went from the back of her head to her cheek. He caressed it, as the evening glow shone onto her beautiful, fragile face. He wiped away remaining tears with his thumb. Liliana leaned her head into his hand.

“I wanted to tell you that too...But i’ve waited too long to express it or show it….because I was scared of how you’d react. I know how much you love surprises...but I feared that this surprise would be too much of a burden to absorb..”

Marethyu opened his mouth to fill the silence between them, but Liliana pressed her index finger on his lips. They stood in silence, smiling, looking into each others eyes, in each other’s arms.

Liliana giggled, and Marethyu blushed even more. Her giggle was too cute not to resist. Seeing Marethyu blush because of her giggle, she laughed happily.

Embarrassed, Marethyu leaned in for another kiss, which Liliana lovingly accepted. A few more moments pass as they held each other for a little longer. Moments seem to feel like minutes, minutes seem to feel like hours. They both pulled away from each other, and saw that the sun was barely peeking over the horizon.

“It’s getting late. We should really get back before they start to worry about where we are.”

Liliana whimpered in sorrow. She wanted this moment to last just a little bit longer.

“Alright...Let’s go back.”

Marethyu turned to look down the path from which they came, but stopped midway in his turn.

“Hey, Liliana?”

Marethyu turned to face Liliana once more. Liliana looked up at his face, her face filled with an immeasurable amount of joy.

“Let’s get married, okay?”

Liliana’s eyes filled with even more happiness as she reached up to hug Marethyu once more.

“Yeah..Let’s definitely get married.”

Marethyu hugged her waist, holding on tightly once more.

“...And have lots of kids together..”

Marethyu blushed even more, his face turning red like a daedra’s. Liliana turned to look at his face, knowing that he would blush. Seeing that she was right, she giggled and kissed his burning cheek.

“You’re so adorable when you get embarrassed. Now come on, we don’t want the town to worry about again, do we?”

Liliana smiled as she took Marethyu’s hand, and started to lead him down the hill.

“I love you, Liliana…”

-<===o===>-

“Marethyu, you there? Nirn to Marethyu! Are you in there??” Inigo’s voice snapped Marethyu out from his trance.

Looking down, he noticed that he was gripping his scarf tightly. He then looked around and saw villagers talking to one another, and children playing. He looked to where the girl was leading the boy, and she knelt down, showing the boy a dragon print in the dirt. The two both stared at the print, fascinated by the size and shape.

“I did some digging around the town. I got us some rations and directions. I suppose we’re headed for Riverwood next?” He said with a mouthful of roasted hoarker meat.

Marethyu turned around and started to walk towards the town gates. “Let’s get out of here.” He said. He took a deep breath in and out, not allowing himself to let his emotions out.

Marethyu scowled. “Gives me bad memories.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Why in Oblivion did you have to punch the bartender...” Marethyu sighed as Inigo rubbed the newly formed bruise on his shoulder.

Inigo looked up at Marethyu, still heated about what had occurred earlier. “Called me a blue sack of troll shit. No one insults me without getting away with it.” Inigo responded, in an attempt to defend himself. Marethyu shook his head as he looked back down the road. “Was a pretty damn good creative insult though.” Marethyu muttered. Inigo whipped his head to look at Marethyu with a scolding glare. “Just saying.”

Marethyu smirked as he looked back at the road. Inigo pulled out their map and stared at the parchment for a moment. “Whiterun..we should be heading in the right direction, if i’m not mistaken.” They came across a forest clearing, with a view of the landscape in front of them. “Yup. Just under the horizon there.” Marethyu nodded and pointed to a fairly large town, surrounded by stone walls and a towering castle at the far end of it. Inigo squinted, and spotting the town, he rolled up the map and handed it to Marethyu, which he willingly took and stuffed it in his satchel.

Marethyu looked at the town in the distance once more. “It would probably take us another hour to get there. We should pick up the pace if we want to get there by nightfall-” Marethyu was interrupted by a loud, booming dragon roar. Instinctively, Marethyu pulled out his new bow that he had bought in Riverwood, and nocked an arrow. He darted his eyes across the sky, looking for imminent threats. Inigo sighed in frustration and lazily pulled out his bow as well. “Let’s get this over with…” He groaned, trying to keep up the optimism. They ran out into the forest clearing to get a good view of where the dragon could be.

“There it is!” Inigo exclaimed, aiming towards the sky with his bow. Marethyu looked up to see a brown scaled dragon soaring in the sky above them. Aiming his bow, Marethyu heard a distant voice. “Come down here, you fat lizard!” Marethyu looked down to see a dark elf, clad in leather armor, chasing after the dragon and tossing fireballs towards it.

Marethyu then saw an arrow fly past him, finding it’s target on the dragon’s neck. The dragon let out a ear-piercing screech. “Yaha! Got him!” Inigo said triumphantly. The dragon tilted his head to find where the arrow had come from, spotting Marethyu and Inigo. The dragon changed its course, heading straight for them. The dragon roared as it prepared it’s landing on the ground.

“Look out!” Marethyu screamed, and quickly backed up, avoiding where the dragon would land. Inigo dived out of the way, and the dragon landed with a loud thud. Before Marethyu could lodge another arrow into the dragon, the dark elf struck first, letting out a yell and lobbing a ball of electricity at the dragon. The ball of sparks exploded, paralyzing the dragon. “NOW!” The dunmer screeched.

Marethyu, realizing the opportunity to strike, pulled out his sword and charged at the dragon. Raising Luna over his head, he swung it downwards, slashing the paralyzed dragon’s neck. He followed up with another slash towards the neck, and swiftly pulled out a throwing knife and threw it at the dragon’s right wing, to prevent it from flying away properly. From his peripheral vision, he saw Inigo shooting the dragon’s eyes out, and quickly following up with a sword slash on the snout. He heard another loud battle cry as he saw the dark elf spew flames from her hands.

The dragon spasmed, attempting to get up, but the paralysis spell was strong. The dark elf shot fire bolts on the dragon’s wings, scorching them and creating large holes. The dragon couldn’t escape now.

Marethyu quickly made haste for the head, raised his sword, and plunged it deep into it’s temple. The dragon laid still for a moment, then let out it’s last breath, as blood began to run out of his nose and mouth. Marethyu pulled out his sword, wiping the blood on the grass below him. Inigo walked up to Marethyu and slapped his back. “Whew. Good work on the finishing blow. You’ve really gotten used to it, haven’t you?” He stared at the hole in the dragon’s head, where Marethyu lodged his sword. Marethyu sighed in disappointment. “This dragon was much weaker than the one I fought in Falkreath. Shame that it didn’t put up much of a fight-“ Marethyu stopped mid sentence as the dragon corpse was engulfed in bright orange flames.

The scales and flesh of the dragon evaporated into the flames, and the flames slowly rose and was sucked in by an unknown force. He looked to where the dunmer was and saw the flames being absorbed into her, creating orange and blue tendrils of flame. Her eyes were closed, her head was tilted up, and smiled as she absorbed the dragon’s essence.

After all the flames were absorbed, and all that was left of the dragon was it’s skeletal structure, she let out a sigh of relief. “Ahhh.. That felt good..” She grimaced suddenly. “Had a pretty nasty aftertaste though.” She flipped her short, curly red hair and looked at Marethyu and Inigo with a flirty glance. “Good job boys, couldn’t have asked for better backup.” She winked at them, with a hint of mischievousness in her voice. Marethyu examined her closely. That voice… that look in her eyes… that smile… This was the same dunmer that he encountered back at the tavern in Falkreath. And most importantly,

The Dragonborn wasn’t a mighty and bulky Nord, like everyone rumored them to be.

  
The Dragonborn was a suspiciously attractive dark elf.

 

Marethyu took a moment to process what he had just witnessed. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t find the words to say.

The dark elf looked at Marethyu, suspicious. “Hey...Do I know you?” She asked. Quickly shutting his mouth, Marethyu recollected himself and responded in a calm manner. “No, I don’t think so. This is the first time we’ve met.” Inigo saw past Marethyu’s bluff, and glanced at Marethyu, and then at the dark elf a few times.

The dark elf’s suspicious glance never left her face. “No...I’ve definitely seen you somewhere..” Her eyes darted up Marethyu’s body. “White hair, gray scarf, tall, shiny, elegant silver sword...You must be that Wandering Swords Elf everyone’s talking about!” Marethyu looked puzzled. “Wandering...Swords elf?” Inigo crossed his arms and smirked. “It’s true.” He said. “Ever since that bandit confrontation in Solitude, you’ve grown popular with the locals and mercenaries everywhere.” The dark elf interjected. “The Companions Guild is going crazy over you.” She commented.

Marethyu paused to take in the information, and looked at Inigo. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He questioned. Inigo put his hands down to his side and smiled. “I didn’t want this story of fame get to your head.” Marethyu sighed and sheathed his sword. He looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was positioned close to dusk.

“Well, we best get going. If we don’t hurry the sun’ll go down before we get to the gate. Thanks for the help dunmer.” Marethyu and Inigo turned away and started to walk towards the main path.

“Wait!” The dark elf exclaimed. Marethyu and Inigo froze and turned to look at the dark elf walking towards them. “If you’re heading for Whiterun, that also means that you know about its new law reforms?” Marethyu and Inigo looked at each other, no idea of what reforms she was talking about. “The two of you won’t survive on your own.” She waltzed towards the two warriors, her face suddenly stern and serious.

Marethyu turned towards her and scoffed. “And you know and abide to these supposed new laws?” She stopped right in front of Marethyu, putting her hands behind her back and looking up at him. “Precisely. I bet that you’ll get the boot the minute you enter those gates.” Marethyu looked down at the dunmer, looking directly into her unmoving eyes. He sighed, looking over at Inigo. “Well, I suppose we could use the help to try not to get kicked out of our planned resting place.” Marethyu said, looking at Inigo with a glare. Inigo responded with a soft “hmph” and looked away.

Marethyu looked back at the dark elf and found her smiling again. “Great. Now let’s get going, shall we?” She gently placed her hand on Marethyu’s chest, giving him a seductive glance for only second, then made her way for the road. Inigo trailed behind her at a safe distance, and Marethyu groaned as he caught up with the dark elf.

They approached the whiterun stables, walking in silence the whole time. The dunmer glanced at Marethyu, making an attempt to fill the quiet emptiness.

“So… What’s your name darling?” She cooed. Marethyu kept looking forward, Hesitating. “Marethyu.” He finally said. The dunmer giggled as she never took her eyes off of him. On the contrary, she didn’t hesitate to share her name. “You can call me Eryn, if you’d like.”

Inigo yawned as he pulled his whiskers in boredom. Marethyu looked at him and saw that he could collapse at any moment. He then turned to look at Eryn, who busied herself preening her fingernails. Marethyu had his suspicions and wanted to see if his guess was right. “So, are there actual new laws in Whiterun?” He asked. Eryn looked up and Marethyu and smiled. She hooked her arm around his.

“Hehe, nope. I just wanted someone to travel with and talk to.” Marethyu sighed and looked back forward. Great. Another handful of a person to look after. He took a deep breath in and anticipated the worse.


	7. Chapter 7

Marethyu felt uneasy, feeling the weight of a crowd of gaze on his shoulders.

The citizens of Whiterun gawked in awe of the sight of the Dragonborn being escorted by the supposed Wandering Swordself himself.

Inigo trailed behind, ignoring the glances of the passing citizens. Eryn smiled and waved at each one, giving the occasional wink.

She looked up at Marethyu, seeing the unpleasantness on his face. She elbowed his side, in which Marethyu looked down at her.

“Smile, these people don’t just wanna see a stoic warrior.” She smiled, then looked back forward, waving at a few more people.

Marethyu groaned. He wasn’t used to this kind of attention, and frankly he didn’t want any of it. Inigo piped up and tapped Marethyu on his shoulder. “The tavern is across town, right?” Inigo asked. Marethyu nodded as he softly pointed at the large straw roofed establishment down the path.

The plan was to rent a room, have a warm meal, and sleep soundly for the night. If, Inigo and Eryn know how to behave, that is.

Entering the Bannered Mare, Marethyu was hit with the familiar stench of burnt meat, wood fire smoke, and mead. The windows were open, making the air a bit more breathable.

Inigo nudged Marethyu, hand held out in front of him, as if he wanted something. Understanding his gesture, he reached behind his back to pull out his bag of gold coins, and counted Inigo 20 septims. Inigo gladly took the coins and walked over to the barkeep.

Marethyu’s stomach grumbled as he looked at the food cooking over the fires. He looked over at Eryn, who was already hunched over a table, wooing over another man who appeared to be drunk with mead.

Marethyu turned to look back at the tavern interior. He saw several people at cooking spits, roasting meats and stirring stews. There was a surprising amount of people in the bar, most of them sitting at tables drinking their lives away with beer.

He walked over to the furthest table and sat down. He flipped his hand over, examining where a decent sized callous had formed from the dragon confrontation earlier in the day. He extended his thumb and forefinger as he pinched the excess skin between his long fingers. He  flinched as he quickly ripped off the dry, dead skin and left it exposed. The skins should regrow and harden soon enough.

From the corner of his eye he could see a few bar patrons staring at this newcomer to the bar. He turned his head towards them and they quickly looked back down at their drinks. Inigo was still at the bar counter, negotiating with the barkeep. Eryn was still at the same man, this time sitting on the man’s leg, her right hand sliding down the man’s chest, and her left arm wrapped around the man’s back, reaching for a suspicious looking pouch. Marethyu winced as he saw Eryn gracefully snatching the pouch while her other hand was busy resting on the man’s lower stomach.

He then saw Inigo in his peripheral vision, walking towards him. Inigo places down on the table 4 septims and a copper key. “I got us a room at a bargain price.” He said happily. Marethyu slid the coins into his hand and slipped them into his coin pouch. Marethyu grabbed the key and stood up, about to head up to their room for the night.

Inigo grabbed his arm before he passed by. “Hey aren’t you going to eat? There’s a few minutes till nightfall.” Marethyu gently tugged his arm away, and Inigo let go.

“It’s been a long day. I could really use some rest, and so should you. I’ll be in our room.” Marethyu said groggily.

“Suit yourself,” Inigo shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll go enjoy myself with a mug of mead and some fresh meat.” Inigo practically pranced for the cooking spits in joy. On the other side of the bar Marethyu saw Eryn kissing the man’s cheek, and stood up to find her next target. The man she was with passed out on the table shortly after her seductive visit.

He scanned the room one last time, and made his way up the stairs.

 

Marethyu closed the door behind him and locked it. He rolled his neck and let out a long and exhausted sigh, and stretched his arms out. The evening orange glow filled the room, nothing  untouched by the warm dusk light. He squinted as he walked towards the bed.

He began to unbuckle his sword strap and armour pieces, setting them down on the table right across from the bed. Marethyu yawned. He wasn’t normally this tired, even if he did face a dragon and a bandit ambush.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, He looked out the window, and saw a massive but ancient castle in the distance. Dragonsreach. A few guards were posted outside of the castle, controlling the massive crowd outside of the grand, fortress doors. Marethyu saw the crowd trying to get a better look inside, peeking their heads over. Looks like the Jarl has himself an audience.

He was reminded of the brawl between a few Stormcloak and Imperial grunts in another tavern a few days before. The civil war was becoming more and more of a threat, and Marethyu wondered if he had to take part. He would rather stay neutral, not wanting to involve himself into politics.

He sighed as he pulled out his leather-bound notebook. He flipped to the next open page. He tapped the charcoal pencil on his thigh for a moment, and began to write.

 

_Adventure log, Day 1936. Morndas, 27th of Last Seed._

_Surprisingly strange day, but everything turned out well. There was a downpour of rain this morning. Hopefully this is a sign of the changing season. I’m sick and tired of this humid weather._

_Dragon attacks are more common lately. I helped take down a class 2 dragon with the help of some city guards, and a class 1 with the help of Inigo and this dunmer girl named Eryn. Speaking of Inigo, he suddenly decides to show himself after the job a month back. I didn’t know what I would do without his company. Maybe I can make it up to him someday. As mentioned before, we’ve met this dark elf named Eryn. She doesn’t seem like to type to be trusted with. From what I’ve seen she manipulates men in her own sensual way, and it always seems to work… I’ll talk to Inigo about her. I’m afraid she’ll drag us down from our endeavors. Maybe she’ll get drunk tonight and that’ll give us an opportunity for us to leave without her._

_My memories are replaying more commonly, and they feel more real than before. Why can’t I just forget? What’s making me remember? I can’t let them get in the way. I just wish never happened.._

_For tomorrow, we’ll stay in Whiterun for another day, stocking up on resources if needed. I just hope Inigo doesn’t get into much trouble. He will, but I pray that it’s something minor he commits._

_I forget how long this journey has been. Has it really been 5 years since I departed Valenwood? I’ve been through Elswyr, Cyrodiil, Hammerfell, High Rock, and now Skyrim. It was a good choice to settle in Hammerfell for a time. The Alik’r really accepted me as one of their own, and has taught me many valuable skills. It was a pain for me to leave, however. Many good people there that I regret leaving behind. I hope our paths cross again one day. I wonder what Jonak is up to._

_This Eryn woman… I have a bad feeling about her. Like I mentioned before, she’s manipulative and also apparently a thief, from what I just saw earlier. I won’t take any chances if she’s going to stick around. But she’s also the Dragonborn, which makes her a valuable asset. I was not expecting an attractive dunmer to be our world’s greatest and only hope. I hope she’s more useful than she seems._

_The air is growing colder, and the days feel shorter. The beginnings of colder days, possibly the coldest I will experience. Skyrim is well known for its harsh conditions, and it’s unforgiving blizzards. I must prepare myself for the worst (and clothes to keep me warm).What will await me tomorrow? We shall see._

 

Marethyu wrote his last sentence and shut the journal with the stubby charred stick, bookmarking his next new page.

He reached over to the table and slid the journal underneath his chest plate, and reached over to grab _The Imperial’s Guide to Skyrim_ that was placed beside his armor. He sat up on the edge of the bed and began to read its contents. If he was going to venture once again in unknown territory, he would need to know what to expect.

 

A few hours later, the door opened, and Eryn entered the room with a satisfied grin on her face. Marethyu looked up to see who had just came in, and seeing that it was only Eryn he put his head back into his book.

“Whew, I’m exhausted!” Eryn sighed, attempting to start a conversation. Marethyu ignored her and kept reading.

He looked out the window and saw that it was fully dark out. He turned to look at Eryn, seeing her brush her hair with a brush that seemingly came out of nowhere.

“Where’s Inigo.” Marethyu prompted. “Eryn looked at Marethyu with confusion. “Inigo? Who are you talking about-” Her face then lit up, recalling who Marethyu was talking about. “Oh! That blue fur-ball!” She giggled and gestured her head towards the door. “He’s passed out, laying on one of the tables. Had a bit too much to drink.”

Marethyu sighed. Inigo doesn’t know when enough is enough. “Should I…. go get him?” Eryn started. Marethyu shook his head in response and looked back down at his book. “Leave him. He’ll find his way back up here during the night.”

Eryn clasped her hands as she sat down on the bed. She crossed her legs as she leaned in, her head resting on the palm of her hand. “So...tell me a bit about yourself.” Marethyu looked back up again to see Eryn giving him her seductive glance. She bit her lip, seeing that she got his attention, but looked back down, trying to finish the page.

Eryn frowned and stood up. She stepped closer to Marethyu, her right hand now enveloped in a jade green color. She knelt down in front of him and gently rested her hand on Marethyu’s thigh.

Marethyu took a glance at her hand glowing with magic. A manipulation spell. If he wasn’t going to tell her what she wants to know, she’ll have to get the information out herself.

“What’s a cutie like you doing all the way out here in Skyrim?” She winked as she leaned her head in closer, lowering the book in between them. Marethyu did his best to keep his mouth closed. One slight opening and an entire confession would come blurting out. He concentrated on directing his magicka energy on his thigh.

“Hehe.. c’mon don’t be shy…” Her hand slowly glided upwards onto his thigh, stopping in front of his hip. Marethyu imagined the thought of sparks igniting where Eryn’s hand was. “Such strong legs...You must train often..” She gave another seductive grin as her gaze shifted from his eyes down to his lower stomach. “Let’s see how much you’re packing-YOWCH!”

Eryn’s hand quickly jerked away as lightning sparks emitted from where her hand was. She shook her hand, shaking off the pain. Marethyu looked up at Eryn, his face still calm and collected. “Your manipulation magic won’t work on me. Trust me, many people stronger than you have tried.”

Eryn frowned and gave Marethyu a glare. “You’re no fun.” She muttered. Her face then quickly softened, giving Marethyu another grin. “You’ll warm up to me eventually, you’ll see.”

She walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a nightgown. Without hesitation she quickly undid her armor straps, and unbuttoned and unbinded her clothes. Marethyu quickly turned his head to look the other way, his face slightly turning red.

Out of his peripheral vision he saw Eryn then flop onto the bed, looking as exhausted as he was. She yawned and stretched her back, snuggling herself on the bed. “Goodnight sweetie, hope we talk again tomorrow..” She giggled as she adjusted herself on the bed, and a few minutes later she lay motionless, with soft inhales and exhales coming from her.

A few moments passed as Marethyu was debating if she truly was asleep or not. Assuming that she was, he quickly got up and blew out the lantern on the table next to his bed.

Walking over Eryn’s clothes and undergarments, he slowly crawled into bed, yawning as well. He laid down face up, staring at the ceiling. He trusted that Inigo would be in the room tomorrow morning. He had much to discuss about Eryn to him.

It seems as if she’s part of the team now, unexpectedly. And he had a feeling that it was going to be difficult getting rid of her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin Skywalker: "This is where the fun begins."

Marethyu sleepily opened his eyes, the morning sun shining on his face. He groaned as he rose, sitting down on the bed.

He rubbed his eyes as she scanned the room. Eryn was facing towards the wall, still sleeping. She somehow got under the sheets during her sleep. He reached over to the bedside table and put on his signet ring.

He leaned over the bed, taking a glance at the floor. He didn’t see a knocked out Inigo lying on the ground. He immediately got up from the bed and quickly headed out the door. 

Marethyu walked down the steps, stopping halfway, searching for Inigo. 

Marethyu relaxed when he saw his Khajiit friend face down on a table, clearly passed out. Hopefully, he’s sober by now. Marethyu walked back up the steps and headed for his room. 

He peeked his head in the door, and he saw that Eryn wasn’t lying on her bed. Instead, he saw her sitting upright on her bed, flipping through a leatherbound journal. His journal. 

Marethyu swung the door open and strode across the room, snatching the leather booklet from her hands. 

Eryn looked blankly at her bare hands for a moment, then looked up at Marethyu. “Some sort of diary, eh? I never expected you to be the emotional type.” Eryn giggled as Marethyu checked to see what page of his adventure log she was reading, then shut the book and wrapped it with its twine strings. 

“If you’re going to stay,” Marethyu growled. “Then please do refrain from looking through our personal belongings. Or else it won’t end well for you.” Marethyu lowered his eyes, fixing a glare into Eryn’s eyes. 

Eryn snorted and looked down beside her feet, ignoring his threat. 

“Fair enough.” She said. Eryn walked over to her clothes, on the floor where she left them from last night. Marethyu turned around and peeked out the window behind him. The sky was a bright blue, with the touch of white clouds blending in with the light blue above. Today seemed like another ordinary day. He saw the bustling of people below him, walking towards food vendors, talking amongst each other, and purchasing items that were being sold.

Marethyu looked over his shoulder, seeing that Eryn had finished dressing in her loose leather armor. She strapped one last buckle and looked over at Marethyu.  
“Well? You ready for today?” Eryn asked pleasantly. 

Marethyu sighed as he walked past Eryn, heading for the door. “We need to wake Inigo up first. From there? We’ll see.”

Marethyu opened the door and looked over the railing. Inigo was gone from his spot. He dashed down the stairs and looked around the interior of the inn. Inigo was nowhere to be found inside of the bar. Marethyu weaved his way around tables and chairs, shoving the inn’s wooden doors open.

Marethyu glanced around the open air market, hoping to find a blur of blue fur. If I was an incompetent hairball, where would I be? He thought. Marethyu then heard screaming from one of the stalls. Sounds like an argument. He quickly shuffled down the steps of the inn and made his way towards the noise.

“Get your dirty paws off of my game!” A market vendor said. “Aw come on, just a little piece? One itty bitty bite?” A familiar voice spoke drunkenly. Marethyu pushed through the crowd gathered around the stall, and saw Inigo holding tightly onto a piece of elk meat. “Let go, or I’ll call the guards on you, you little thief!” The burly hunter said. Marethyu quickly strode up to Inigo and grabbed him by the wrists.

“Alright, time to go Inigo. I deeply apologize about my friend here.”

“Marethyu!-hic- So good to see you, my non-furry friend….” Inigo replied groggily.

Marethyu pulled Inigo away from the stall and back onto the street. 

“Marrrrryy…….Where are ya takin me buddyyy?” Marethyu turned around facing Inigo. He reached his hand over his head and started to scratch him behind his ear. Inigo’s faced lit up with pleasure and leaned his head against Marethyu’s scratching fingers. Seeing that Inigo was caught in a trance, Marethyu slapped Inigo across the face as hard as he could. 

Inigo flinched and reeled backward. He bent over, holding his cheek with his hand, rubbing off the pain.

“What the hell was that for- Marethyu? Where am I? What happened?” Inigo asked curiously.

“You were drunk, idiot. Again. Why are you like this?” 

Eryn came up from behind Marethyu and looked over his shoulder to see Inigo, still rubbing his cheek. 

“This one just wanted to have a good time. We never had the chance to just sit back and relax for once, Marethyu. Don’t you think we should take a break?” Inigo shot back in defense.

“That temple isn’t going to wait for us. If we really want to find out more about this ring, we need to get there fast before a raiding party decides to loot the place. Hell, it could already be looted.”

“All you cared about ever since we left Hammerfell was that damned ring, and I swear, if this is just a false lead, I’m going to-”

Inigo was interrupted as the ground shook as a thundering roar came from above. Marethyu looked up at the sky, fearing that a dragon was about to demolish the city. 

“Dragon! Everyone find shelter!” A citizen screeched.

“That wasn’t a dragon, it was the call of the Grey Beards!” Another citizen yelled in excitement.

“The Dragonborn! They’re summoning the Dragonborn!” A child yelped with glee. 

Marethyu and Inigo glanced at Eryn, who was smiling ear to ear. She clasped her hands together as she walked towards the confused travelers. They both thought that the Grey Beards’ existence was only a myth, even the fact that aging men lived up in the sky where the air is thin and the snow is relentless. But at this point? From what they’ve seen? Nothing seemed impossible at this point.

“Didja hear that? That’s my cue, boys! Next stop, High Hrothgar!” Eryn said triumphantly. 

Inigo looked over at Marethyu. “Is this where she leaves us?”

Marethyu crossed his arms as he looked at Eryn trotting away. “Hmph. Hope so. I guess that'll be the last time that we’ll see her-”

Marethyu's vision went black, and a cerulean haze glowed softly as a deep, mythical voice echoed in his ears.

"The Roar of Ancients has exclaimed from the heavens.  
O Ring Bearer, go with the prophesied hero to the top of this doomed, dying world.  
The Aegis shall be the final witness."

Marethyu snapped back into reality, noticing that he was walking towards Eryn unknowingly. 

What in the…What? He took in a deep breath trying to recall what had just happened.  
He couldn’t seem to stop himself from trailing behind Eryn. His actions were not his own. What was that voice? Where did it come from? Did anyone else hear it?

“Oi! Wait for me you speechless mop hair!” Inigo exclaimed from behind.

Something told Marethyu’s gut that disobeying this otherworldly voice would bring a heavy price.

Inigo caught up to Marethyu, and peered at his face, seeing his confused expression.

“So...Are we really going with her?” Inigo asked.

“Yeah... To…To High Hrothgar.” Said a disoriented and concerned Marethyu.


	9. Chapter 9

“Here we are folks, Ivarstead.” the carriage driver heaved with exhaustion.  

 

Marethyu hopped off the back of the carriage, looking up to see the base of one of the biggest mountains he has ever seen. It was colder here, since the cold winds from the mountaintop drifted downwards, leaving a soft, chilly breeze in Ivarstead.

 

A shaky breath sounded from beside him, and he glanced to see Eryn, hunched over and rubbing her hands against her arms.

 

“It was… probably not the best idea to wear the loosest armor in all of smithing..” Eryn shuddered. 

 

Marethyu smirked. He looked past Eryn and saw Inigo, stretching as he hopped off the carriage as well. His fur should suit him well for the cold. Marethyu felt a chill as well. He could probably endure the cold up in the mountains, but it was a risk that he was not too willing to take this time. 

 

Marethyu looked towards the town, trying to find the tavern of Ivarstead. In the distance, he saw a wooden sign with a beer mug printed. Just like any other tavern they’ve been to. “You two go into that tavern over there. I’ll try to find some extra layer of clothes for us to wear.” Marethyu ordered.

 

Inigo nodded as he made his way for the tavern. Eryn, on the other hand, stood in front of Marethyu, not moving a muscle.

 

“Well? Are your bones already frozen? Go with Inigo.” Marethyu said once more.

 

“Hm...Yeah, no. You have no authority over me. The Dragonborn does whatever the hell she wants.” Eryn replied. Her passive-aggressive glare shot into Marethyu’s eyes but having no effect.

 

Marethyu sighed. He turned and made his way to the building with the sign reading “Tailor.” Eryn trailed happily behind.

 

Opening the door of the small establishment, Marethyu was immediately hit with a wave of heat, emitting from the torch scones from inside. Marethyu opened the door for Eryn, who gladly stepped inside quickly, and then shut the door behind him. An old Nordic woman was sitting at a table, sewing a sleeve onto a wool coat. She noticed the two guests, and she smiled. She slowly got up from her work and shuffled to the counter beside the table.

 

“I’m looking for something that will keep us warm through the journey to the top of the mountain,” Marethyu asked softly. The old woman nodded as she studied Marethyu’s appearance, and reached under the counter to pull out a set of clothing. 

 

Marethyu looked at the clothes that the lady had brought out. It was a dark blue coat, that went down to his thighs, and with it a pair of matching trousers. He picked up the coat and unfolded it. It looked about his size as well. He put the coat down and unfolded the trousers. Almost a perfect fit.

 

“50 gold. For pants and coat.” The woman croaked. Marethyu was surprised. He didn’t expect it to be this cheap. He looked over at Eryn, who was on the other side of the room, two coats in one hand, looking at herself in the mirror. 

 

“What do you think Mary?” Eryn asked. She overlapped the coats over her body, finding the right one for her. 

 

“Hm… This coat brings out my hips.. but ooh, these pants make my thighs look bigger…” Eryn questioned out loud. 

 

Marethyu rolled his eyes and sighed. He shuffled over to Eryn and snatched a coat and wool trousers from one of her hands. He immediately turned back around, placing the coat and pants on the counter between him and the old woman.

 

“65 gold. For both pieces.” The woman said quietly and with glee. Marethyu handed over the money, which was replaced with Eryn’s new coat and trousers. He tossed the clothes over to Eryn, stepping towards the door.

 

“Find a place to change. I’ll meet you at the bar.” Marethyu muttered. He quickly opened the door and closed it behind him, stepping outside.

  
  


“What’s taking her so long?” Inigo asked. It had been at least ten minutes after Marethyu left Eryn to change.

 

Marethyu looked up from his warm tea. “Be patient Inigo. She’ll be here any moment. Who would spend  _ that _ much time getting into some clothes?” 

 

“You’d be surprised,” Inigo muttered, as he placed his ceramic cup onto the table, done with his coffee brew. 

 

Marethyu looked down at his new clothes. They were surprisingly warm and comfortable, but not too heavy or constraining for his limbs. The wool inside the coat was light to the touch but durable. 

 

He focused his attention back to the table. He placed his hands on the wooden surface and noticed the ring on his left hand. Something about the ring intrigued him; the way it glinted in the sunlight, the dark blue gemstone placed in the middle, and it’s intricate engravings.

 

The ring was gifted to him by his grandfather, as the tradition of his family went. The grandfather passes on the heirloom of their bloodline, but the ring served no purpose. It was only a useless piece of jewelry.

 

But only since Marethyu had left Valenwood, the ring had become of more importance to him. He had traveled far and wide across Tamriel, searching for answers, about this mysterious ring he possessed. But a certain tip from a Redguard historian in Hammerfell had told him a similar ruin that had the same engravings on the temple as the ring, and that certain temple was located in the east side of Skyrim. But now, here he was, sitting in a bar, waiting for a woman who puts clothes on for what seems like an eternity. He questioned himself. Would this trip really be worth it? What if the answer he seeks is not what he expected? What if the ring really was useless, and that he had wasted 5 years of his life chasing a worthless answer?

 

The door opened as Eryn stepped inside, bundled up in her new clothes. Marethyu sighed in relief as he saw that the only skin he could see was of her face and hands. 

 

“Well? The Greybeards can’t wait forever, you know.” Eryn said impatiently.

 

Inigo pushed himself out of the seat and up on his feet, flipping a coin onto the table, paying for his coffee. Marethyu did the same, placing the coin inside his empty teacup.

 

Marethyu stood up and stretched his legs. “No thanks to you spending an eternity wearing two simple articles of clothing.” He shot back in his passive-aggressive tone.

 

Eryn flipped her hair as she looked into Marethyu’s eyes with her seductive glance. “It takes centuries to look this good. A goddess needs to take all the time that she needs.” She chuckled as she winked.

 

Marethyu ignored her lure as he walked past her towards the door.

 

“Ah yes, but the world isn’t patient to wait on her either.” Marethyu looked over his shoulder, not amused. He opened the door and stepped outside the cold air.

 

Inigo followed closely behind. “So…. How are we going to get up there? Teleportation? A ride up? Or are the Greybeards coming down for us?” Inigo asked curiously.

 

Marethyu smirked as he glanced behind him.

 

“Are you ready to climb seven-thousand steps?” He asked.

He could hear the groans of Inigo and Eryn as he walked ahead, ready to take the pilgrimage up the infamous Seven-Thousand steps up High Hrothgar.

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

Marethyu let out a controlled breath of air as he stood at the top of the flight of steps he completed... He turned and looked behind him, spotting Inigo a few steps behind. Inigo looked up to see Marethyu’s eyes and looked over his shoulder to see where Eryn was.

The two swordsmen spotted a quite helpless Dunmer far below, dragging herself up the steep steps. Even from this distance, they saw her legs tremble from exhaustion, and it looked as if any moment she would have collapsed.

Inigo sighed. “Do you want me to go get her?” he asked. Marethyu started his descent down, stepping past Inigo.

“I’ll do it. I saw a cavern opening at the top of this flight’s stairs. Go there and start a fire.” Marethyu replied. Without question, Inigo climbed up the last few stairs of his flight. “Just make sure that she doesn’t die climbing these stupid stairs.”

As Marethyu got closer, he could hear the huffs and puffs of exhaustion from Eryn. She looked up to see him climbing down towards her in a hurry. She smiled in relief.

“Ah, my knight in shining armor has come to save me...Take me away, my prince...” She cooed. Marethyu rolled his eyes, stopping in front of Eryn. He turned his back and crouched at her shin height. “Come on, we don’t want Inigo to wait too long for us.” He gestured Eryn to hop on his back for a piggyback ride.

Without a thought Eryn jumped onto Marethyu’s back, snuggling herself against him as close as she could. “Away, my steed! Mush!” She yelped cheerfully. Marethyu groaned as he stood up, holding onto Eryn’s legs. She had the mental attitude of an annoying child. He felt her arms wrap around his shoulders, her head resting on his own head. She was surprisingly lighter than he thought she was. Marethyu continued forward, watching his step, trying his best not to drop his ‘precious cargo’ over the edge. Tempting, but doing his best not to.

 

Inigo waved as he saw Marethyu reaching the top of the stairs. He loosened his grip on Eryn’s legs, a sign for her to get off. Eryn hopped off of his back, spotting Inigo’s fire and walking towards it. Marethyu stretched his back, letting out a yawn. He looked over the cliff, spotting the small town of Ivarstead far below him. The air felt more thin, as Marethyu caught his breath. He turned to look at his companions, hunched over the fire, warming up.

“How much longer until we reach the top?” Eryn asked. Inigo stoked the fire with a bone, keeping it alive. “Just a couple of flights left. We’re almost there.” Inigo responded with a shiver. Marethyu was starting to regret not buying a coat for him earlier. He then notices the bone in Inigo’s hand.

“Inigo?” He asked. “Where did you happen to find that bone?”

“Oh, this? I got it from a pile of bones behind that rock over there.”

 

“...And why on earth do you think a pile of bones would be up here?”

Inigo froze. He then suddenly realized what Marethyu was hinting at. He quickly threw the bone over the mountainside and unsheathed his sword. Marethyu did the same, drawing Luna from his hip. Eryn stood up, her hands suddenly lit with small fire embers.

Just then, a roar erupted from behind a rock. The three turned around to see a frost troll, bones hanging from its mouth and arms. It then spits out the bones and flung the bones at the three travelers. Marethyu dove out of the way, avoiding the spread shot of bones flying at him. Inigo Shielded his face with his gauntlet, letting his armor take the impact. Eryn casted a fire shield in front of her body, burning any bones flung at her to ash.

The frost troll lurched forward, charging towards the closest target, Inigo. Being light on his feet, he dodged the troll’s tackle, slashing its side as a counter attack. The troll stood up from its feet, the side of his torso bleeding.

The troll spotted Eryn and charged towards her. Marethyu slid in front of the troll, trying to stop it. The troll swatted Marethyu away, flinging him into the wall of the cavern. Before Eryn could launch another spell at the troll, it grabs her by the throat and lifted her up. Eryn clutched the troll’s massive hand, trying to pry its fingers off of her neck, but the troll was too strong. Eryn felt the life fade from her eyes as the troll tightened its grip. The troll reached with his other hand for her head, wanting to rip off her head.

An arrow whistled through the air and found its mark in the troll’s open hand. The troll roared in pain as it examined the arrow impaling its palm.

The arrow was quickly followed up by a backstab from Marethyu, plunging his sword deep in its abdomen. He yanked his sword to the side, slicing the troll’s stomach open. The troll dropped Eryn as it clutched its severed stomach. As Marethyu pulled his sword out, the troll fell to the ground with a loud thud. Inigo shot an arrow through his head, making sure that the troll was completely dead.

Marethyu then fell to the ground, hovering his hand over his chest, trying not to touch his broken ribs from when the troll flung him into the cavern wall.

Inigo quickly rushed to Marethyu’s side, followed by Eryn, still trying to catch her breath. Inigo quickly reached into his satchel, trying to find a healing potion. He pulled out a small bottle with a small portion of liquid left. “Dammit! We should’ve bought more potions!” Inigo yelled in frustration. He pulled the cork off of the bottle and tossed it to the side. He put the rim of the bottle to Marethyu’s lips, pouring the clear, crimson liquid inside his mouth.

“Don’t worry, I got him,” Eryn said calmly. She opened her hands, light emitting from her palms. She placed glowing hands onto Marethyu’s chest. He groaned as He felt pressure on his broken ribs, but slowly relaxed as the healing magic slowly restored his fractured and shattered rib cage.

Eryn opened her mouth to speak, but she was at a loss of words. “How...Why?...” she stammered.

Marethyu looked up at her with his usually stern face. “If you have something to say, say it quickly. I don’t know how long I'll stay conscious.”

“...You were wounded. Severely. Your rib-cage was practically shattered. But you...you still managed to get up on your feet, rush towards the troll, and finish the job? You must have been in so much pain… Why?”

Marethyu looked directly into Eryn’s eyes. But this time, with softness and compassion, instead of seriousness and annoyance.

“I lost someone in the past. It...It could have been prevented. I was able to prevent it. But I still let her die…”

He looked down averting his gaze but looked back up into her eyes again. He lifted his hand to rest over Eryn's own hand.

“I will never let the people I care about die. And I will never stop at any circumstance to let any of you die. I will not be responsible for a loved one’s death ever again. That is a promise.

Eryn looked directly back into Marethyu’s eyes. She saw determination, strength, courage, and compassion deep within his canary yellow irises. She felt something stir in her stomach. She couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was the after effect of insufficient air.

Inigo looked towards the cavern entrance, seeing that the sky had turned a bright orange. “It’s getting late. It’ll get too cold during the night to travel, so we’ll stay here for the night.” He said.

Marethyu and Eryn nodded. Even if they could have a chance at making it before the sun set over the horizon, they couldn’t travel with Marethyu in this state.

Inigo stood up, slinging his bow over his shoulder. “Get some rest you two. This one will keep watch for the night.”

“Right,” Eryn said. “I’ll try to keep healing Marethyu as much as I can.”

She looked back down at Marethyu, Seeing that he had already fallen asleep. She wondered. If this pain is what Marethyu is willing to go through, then what HAS he gone through up to this moment? She felt a tear running down her cheek. No one has ever risked their life to save her’s. Not ever. Until now. The fire still roared, giving the cavern a bit of warmth. The fire’s warm glow rested on Marethyu’s calm and relaxed face. Eryn had never seen him relax. She leaned forward into Marethyu’s ear.

“...Thank you...” She whispered softly. She pulled away, looking at Marethyu’s face once more. Eryn smiled. Her Knight in Shining Armor was adorable when he slept.


End file.
